The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2015, and October 31, 2016 (see FAQ for exceptions), are automatically nominated for the 2016 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on November 3, 2016, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

Back story is explored in this novel
based on Disney’s Frozen.

Anna and Elsa are princesses who
live in Arendelle. As youngsters they are close, but an accident causes Elsa,
the elder, to distance herself from Anna. Anna has no memory of the accident
and no one enlightens her, so she spends the next 14 years wondering why her
sister avoids her. Meanwhile Prince Hans of the Southern Isles, who has 12
older, bullying brothers, plots to get his own kingdom. He finds his chance
when he learns that Elsa will be crowned queen of Arendelle. Making his way
there, he woos Anna by mistake. Anna, however, thinks she’s found true love.
Told in alternating chapters and points of view between Hans and Anna, the
story lurches along. Action scenes read as detached description, and there are
more than a few plot inconsistencies. Hans, whose manipulative behavior is
explained by his repressive upbringing—a promising premise—never gets beyond
one-dimensional, and Anna, with her vapid, textureless voice, is trite at best.
The story’s theme of true love (heads up, girls—true love means sacrifice) is a
reinforcement of outdated stereotypes.

This story tries to cater to both
younger girls’ dreams of being a princess and older girls’ desires for both
empowerment and romance but misses the mark on both. (Fantasy. 10-13)

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